Re-open Earl Shilton Bank campaign raised with Vince Cable

A COUNCILLOR is calling for RBS to re-open the NatWest Bank branch in Earl Shilton, after raising the issue of the company closing the last branch in town with a senior member of the Coalition Government.

Councillor Mathew Hulbert (Lib Dem, Barwell) held talks with Dr Vince Cable MP, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, at the Liberal Democrats' Spring Conference held at the Liverpool ACC.

Councillor Hulbert, along with Councillor Michael Mullaney (LibDem, Hinckley Trinity), had campaigned for the branch in Earl Shilton to be kept open, as it was an important facility for the community and especially local businesses and senior citizens.

Despite those calls-and a petition signed by more than 500 residents demanding it be kept open-RBS (the owner of NatWest) still decided to close it.

At the Conference Councillor Hulbert asked the Secretary of State the following about the publicly-owned RBS:

''I agree with you that we shouldn't rush to return RBS to private ownership but, given the public bailed it out, does that not place a special social responsibility on them to do right by the public and not close a bank where it's the last branch in town?''

In response Dr Cable said he was very aware of the issue and it was one he was dealing with.

He said the Government was looking to introduce a number of measures, including the need for a full consultation to be held before any decision is taken to close the last bank branch in a town or village.

He further said that suitable alternative provision must be available before such a branch is closed down.

Councillor Hulbert says, ''I was very pleased to be able to raise the issue with the Secretary of State.

Lib Dems, in both national and local government, take the need to try and protect vital public services from closure very seriously.

I hope, given Dr Cable's comments, that RBS will reverse its initial decision and will re-open the NatWest branch in Earl Shilton to the benefit not just of residents there but of nearby Barwell as well.''

Councillor Mullaney, the Lib Dems Parliamentary Spokesman for Bosworth, says ''I'm very pleased to hear that new rules meaning banks will have to consult widely and find suitable alternative provision before closing are going to be brought in.

I hope RBS will now re-open the branch in Earl Shilton, as hundreds upon hundreds of people who signed our petition wanted it kept open.''